Mercedes Could Ditch Panel Creases And It's Actually Kind Of A Big Deal

Here’s a glimpse into the future of what the next generation of Mercedes cars could look like. It’s the Concept A Sedan, which is being showcased at the Shanghai motor show as you read this.

It’s debuting in China presumably because there isn’t enough going on under the skin to make it worth waiting for Frankfurt later this year, but it marks an interesting departure for a German brand: Mercedes is apparently going to get rid of panel creases.

Instead, the bodywork flows elegantly around bulges that play with the light just as effectively as creases without looking stoic or too sober, as so many German designs do. The doors bulge at the top, with a slight kick at the base of the panels. The more you look, the more fundamentally good-looking it gets. Sure, it needs a few tweaks before it hits the showroom, but it’s nearly there.

Okay, so not all the creases are gone; most notably the shoulder line is still a crease, but the chances are that they simply couldn’t make it work without it. Plus, a wholesale cold turkey approach might not be the best for anyone.

When you think about it, this is a significant step. German cars are all easy to recognise by the strength and sobriety in their bodywork creases, whether it’s at the sides of the bonnet, the front wings, the boot or the shoulders. German cars and panel creases have been like reality TV and idiots. Until now, you’ve never had one without the other.

The Concept A is a good-looking saloon nonetheless. The rear lights appear to have been stolen from a Lexus IS, but other than that you’ve got short overhangs, 20-inch wheels, stubby, chunky bumpers and a sleek three-box shape that looks a little more like a coupe than an everyday saloon.

The door handles on the concept are flush with the door itself, and there’s an unusual feature in the headlight clusters, where the ‘grid structure’ has been coated with a UV paint and exposed to UV light, making it look different colours under different kinds of light. Pretty damn cool, but don’t count on it making production.

It’ll be interesting to see what Mercedes does with this by the time the Frankfurt show comes around. Could the humble Concept A be the pointy end of the wedge for a new era in Stuttgart?